152 JOURNAL OF THE [july, 



give no evidence on the exterior of the destruction they have 

 made in the interior of the timber or lumber. Some writers 

 have stated that the Termites often fill in with clay the timbers 

 needed for strength of the building. I only found the cuttings 

 of the wood repacked, mixed with the same substance as that 

 used in forming the nests. 



" The only exterior evidence of the Termites in a building 

 will be the little covered gallery, about three-eighths of an inch 

 wide, and one-fourth of an inch high, which they run up the 

 walls or posts. In this little passage-way the ants go back and 

 forth. 



" Undoubtedly exaggerated stories have been told and written 

 about the Termites destroying all kinds of wood. On the Isth- 

 mus, hard woods are not attacked until decay has softened the 

 wood-fibres. It is but proper to say that woods decay there 

 much faster than here, the conditions for the growth of fungi 

 being continuous ; while here, in out-of-door structures, they 

 are interrupted by the winter. In many of the large buildings, 

 which could not be well protected from the dampness of the 

 climate, the timbers of the roofs decay, and are eventually at- 

 tacked by the termites. The roof timbers of the church, built 

 by the Panama Railroad Company, have just been examined and 

 found to be completely tunnelled by the Termites." 



Mr. James Walker donated the slide exhibited by him to the 

 Cabinet of the Society. 



Meeting of February 17TH, 1888. 



The President, Mr. Charles F. Cox, in the chair. 



Thirty-one persons present. 



Mr. Alfred Pell was elected a Resident Member, and Mr. 

 Marshall D. Ewell was elected a Corresponding Member of the 

 Society. 



OBJECTS EXHIBITED. 



1. A selected group of Astromnia Aristotelis (one of the 

 Polycystina ).- by George B. Scott. 



2, Tubularia larynx, L. {Ccelenterata) : by L. Riederer. 



